OPC UA IN INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION: INTEGRATION WITH CNC SYSTEMS AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH DNC

Abstract

OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is a modern industrial communication standard designed for secure, reliable, and interoperable data exchange between different devices, applications, and systems within Industry 4.0. Compared to traditional protocols, OPC UA offers several significant advantages, with its main benefit being platform independence, enabling communication between devices from different manufacturers without requiring specific hardware interfaces or custom drivers. OPC UA provides bidirectional communication, allowing not only the transmission of NC programs but also real-timemonitoring of machine status and process data. Additionally, OPC UA is scalable, meaning it can be used not only for connecting CNC machines but also for integrating entire manufacturing systems, including SCADA, MES, and ERP solutions. The advantages of OPC UA over DNC and older protocols make it an ideal choice for industrial environments that require flexibility, security, and integration with modern technologies. Its capability to operate in distributed systems, compatibility with cloud and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, and ability to automatically adapt to complex network infrastructures make it a key element of future industrial systems.